String Quintets Op. 72 & 61

This album presents two exceptional chamber works by French composer George Onslow (1784–1853): the String Quintets Op. 72 in G minor and Op. 61 in F minor. Though celebrated in his time and often called the “French Beethoven,” Onslow’s music fell into obscurity until recent decades. These quintets, from the height of his career, reveal his gift for melodic invention, structural clarity, and expressive depth. The Op. 61 Quintet appears here in its world premiere recording, following Ensemble Tamuz’s discovery of the original manuscript in a private collection linked to the 19th-century cellist Adrien-François Servais. Ensemble Tamuz performs on period instruments and brings a historically informed yet vividly expressive approach to Onslow’s music. With insight drawn from 19th-century performance practices, they illuminate the subtle freedoms—ornamentation, rubato, melodic nuance—that bring Romantic chamber music to life. This recording offers a fresh and compelling encounter with two masterful yet underappreciated works of the Romantic repertoire.